Starch from Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott of purple and white esculenta varieties: Thermal, technological properties, and morphological study

Abstract

The high demand for starch in the food industry drives the search for new alternative sources for extraction. In this regard, Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott, an edible root, is a promising alternative source for starch extraction. This study focused on correlating the technological and thermal properties with the microstructure and size distribution of starch from white and purple varieties. Starch granules with high thermal stability (132-258.3 °C) and good digestibility based on granule size (0.79-4.05 µm) were obtained. It was demonstrated that larger starch granules exhibit higher water absorption capacity (WAC) (139±0.53%). Moreover, the increase in WAC results in a higher gelatinization temperature (76.1±0.3 °C), which is favorable as it allows the use of this starch in food processing at high temperatures.